Tackle the consciousness, not the symptom - Climate Change COP 15 Message

This video is features the best speech of the century - and speaks for me; at least my inability to speak or write since I had an experience merging with the ocean in Antarctica as well as participating in “Bohm Dialogue” or conversations which focus on possibilities and inner selves, as well as meditation.

To me, people conduct current actions in a way that is consistent with future as they perceive it. One of the cause of inaction (to climate change etc)  is our fixation on achieving the goals - we pay so much attention to creating the “future” (which is in some forms of an American dream or the other)  that we forget to take care of our state of being, how we feel right now (stress, frustration, or patterned complaints)

The fixation on future, like everything else, goes down to perceiving self as separated from the “others,” our external realities. After all, it is “my future” and not future of humanity or planet earth i am working hard for! - and this, according to this scientists- is because of the work of our left hemisphere of the brain.

This video gives a scientific backing through evidence of actual personal experience (which is always less suspicious to me in terms of admissibility and veracity of evidence)

and it reminds me of Didi Sarvagyia, who cried for me, when i told her my story - similar to this scientist.

P.S.

My friends and team-mates are at COP 15 (Dec 7-18th) right now!

Here is the message we are delivered in the form of 3000 postcards (and on our sustainability bags, hoodies etc)

Please become  http://apps.facebook.com/causes/causes/415927/

a member of the facebook cause and invite more people to spread the message before Dec 18th end of the Climate Negotiation UNFCCC COP15 and get the postcard sent to yourself or friends from Copenhagen.

Why i support it:

The negotiation is not going anywhere now, but scientists say that’s better for the world.  I agree.

National Sovereignty is the foundation of International Environmental Law and treaties (including the Kyoto Protocol), but the broader context is that United Nation’s budget is only 1.8 % of the World’s Annual Military Expenditure - $1.5 trillion ($1,500,000,000,000) - What is national interest? who is it really serving?


My proposal is that without re-imagining what does it mean to be a human being in this planet - what it takes to be happy - any resolutions will reinforce the unjust system which led us to here in the first place.

In a world of multinationals (top 200 combined sales of corporates are bigger than all nations GDP combined minus top 50), it is up to us and not the politicians, who can vote through everything we buy and not to buy —that will lead us to a possibilities and a future different from the past.

Seeing the choice we have in our hands, now, is critical.


Statistic based on:
http://www.globalissues.org/article/75/world-military-spending
http://www.globalissues.org/article/74/the-arms-trade-is-big-business
http://www.globalissues.org/article/234/the-rise-of-corporations

Stephanie’s Quotes and comments

The draft crouchure looks very good! :)

It includes a diversity of perspectives and a convergence of ideas

I have my own supplements :)

I have two ideas:

(1) I may want to say something about my opinion on the “bridge theory” that I published on tumblr the night before 350 rally. Which is about whether we want personal change in behaviour or a government level top down change?

see: http://tumblr.com/xgc3nlsuf

(2) a simplier perspective in the very systematic and philosopical perspectives of yours. Perhaps I want to start with something smaller, more instrinsic, more genuine thinkings:

“Ever since I was small, there was this touching picture of human living on green land under a boundless blue sky clinging in my mind, full of hope, love and honesty. I began to observe that human had long forgotten the deepest yet simplest truth – we are part of the nature. We are not here to act for the sake of acting. We want to plant our dreams, like picking up the deepest picture in our hearts.”

或许我看得简单单纯一点，脑海里一直都有着这样一幅图画：青草、蓝天、人类。洋溢着希望、爱和真诚。然后我开始看见人类忘记了一个最简单原始的真相：我们也是自然的一部分。我们在这里不是为做而做，我们必须看清楚心中那亩田，那个梦，种出我们想要的未来。

Welcome any discussion :)

we always want to talk, communicate, connect and think about climate change instead of just shout.

-Stephanie-

Love or cosmic imbalance?

“What would be my, how should I call it, spontaneous attitude towards the universe? It’s a very dark one. The first one, the first thesis would have been: a kind of total vanity. There is nothing, basically. I mean it quite literally. Like, ultimately there are just some fragments, some vanishing things, if you look at the universe it’s one big void. But then how do things emerge? Here, I feel a kind of spontaneous affinity with quantum physics. Where, you know, the idea there is that the universe is kind of a void, but a positively charged void. But then particular things appear when the balance of the void is disturbed, and I like this idea spontaneously very much. The fact that it’s not just nothing, things are out there, it means something went terribly wrong. That what we call creation is a kind of a cosmic imbalance, cosmic catastrophe. That things exist by mistake. And I’m even ready to go to the end and to claim that the only way to counteract it is to assume the mistake and go to the end, and we have a name for this; it’s called love. Isn’t love precisely this kind of a cosmic imbalance? I was always amused with this notion of “I love the world”, “universal love”. I don’t like the world, I don’t know how I—uh—I’m basically somewhere in between “I hate the world” and “I’m indifferent towards it”. But the whole of reality, it’s just it, it is stupid, it’s out there, I don’t care about it. Love for me is an extremely violent act. Love is not “I love you all”. Love means, I pick out something and—it’s again this structure of imbalance. Even if this something is just a small detail, a fragile individual person, I say, “I love you more than anything else.” In this quite formal sense, love is evil.”

Slavoj Zizek (Senior researcher, Institute of Sociology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia and Professor at European Graduate School.)

-werewolf

Means and Ends - R-P-R Triangle- Result, Process and Relationship

One of the core design models of Climate Chance (as well as other partners like IISC)’s practice (for both our training and consulting work) is something we call the R-P-R Triangle, which basically makes the case that success in collaborative efforts is a multi-dimensional affair, not solely defined by “results” (goal or task accomplished), but also by “process” (the way or spirit in which work is carried out) and “relationship” (the quality of the connections between the people engaged in the work).

It is “the spine of collaboration,” because if we are not thinking in terms of all dimensions, we are not really serious about seeking win-win solutions with others.  And indeed experience really proves that these dimensions are intimately linked and dependent upon one another when diverse stakeholders come together to realize a shared vision.

However, so far, what we have experienced is that process and relationships are always at risk of being more subservient. Despite the fact that we know that in the daily business of reaching our desired results, egos gets stroked, compliments extended, comments overlooked in the formation of relationships and a process that works towards the intended goal.   How does this model account for this reality?

This question is reminiscent of an ongoing internal conversation about collaboration at IISC and Interaction Associates.  Is it a means or an end in and of itself?   The same goes for a rigorous dialogue about networks.  Are they a route to social change or are they the destination?

As is often the case these days, the answer to these questions seems to be a resounding and perplexing, “Yes!”  Results are important, and … .  Simply viewing people, or process for that matter, as means to an end can be problematic, not just in terms of failing to respect others’ humanity (harkening back to Kantian ethics), but also in failing to deeply tap the potential that is ripe for our complexity-ridden times.

In this day and age we hear more about, and many experience, the importance of invitation, conversation, hosting, space, trust, and connection, not just as precursors to making something happen, but as being an embodiment of change. And so the challenge becomes holding on to both truths – results matter, and they don’t, or not in the ways that we often imagine.

In the pursuit of systemic transformation, the results we ultimately desire to achieve and sustain, the processes we must master, and the relationships we must cultivate, are generally accretive, or gradually attained. In the end, it comes down to what we pay attention to, why we come together, what cause are we serving, what vision we try to create.

The qestion then becomes, how can we embody the change we seek, every second, with each other?

Initiating positive change in Hong Kong

Hey, this is Max;

Just some ideas I had about where to start and how to develop a programme to engage the local Hong Kong community. This involves creating awareness about climate change and promoting action from individual citizens to that they can ensure a positive future climate for the region and the world.

Overall Plan and development:

• Engaging local schools (and universities) with classroom activities, assembly presentations and workshops which advise how young people can have a positive impact on the future of the global and local environment.  This involves making sure that local school students understand the significance of climate change and are aware how they can have a role in influencing it for the better.
• · Extending the Climate Chance network and activities to the other universities and tertiary institutions in Hong Kong through exchanges, presentations and activities
• ·         Initiating important segments of the Hong Kong community to become involved with initiating positive change. This means engaging community centres, centres for the elderly, associations, local and foreign businesses.
• ·         Initiating on-going campaigns with regional councils and public broadcasting domains. For example designing a visual campaign which includes film, photo (an exhibition), music, radio, performance (dance/ drama). These campaigns will establish climate chance as a recognisable brand and distinguish itself from other student run NGOs. Recruit other organisations, student bodies and Universities to help with this campaign.
• ·         Promoting the climate chance campaign in the local community- schools, cultural and public spaces and local broadcasters (RTHK, TVB, and PTV).
• ·         Building and improving on these activities and possibly transferring the model to Guangdong and China.

How climate chance members, volunteers, strategic partners or friends can get involved;

·         Education; designing presentations, workshops and activities for students at primary, secondary and university in Hong Kong; in English and Cantonese.  Then contacting the schools and institutions to arrange such events.

·         Intra-university; contacting other university student associations and departments of biosciences, etc and facilitating events, dialogues and activities to promote change.

·         Designing a visual informational campaign on positive change for the local community that is available online, in poster form, or via short infomercials.

·         Contacting local community centres and associations about these initiatives and asking them to support the need for positive change in Hong Kong.

·         Contacting businesses with information about how they can reduce their carbon footprint and about the notions of ‘green business’ and eco-employee behaviour and how they can invest in positive change projects in Hong Kong.

·         Designing a multimedia campaign that is accessible to all members of the public; this may include producing short films, documentaries, a photo exhibition, original music- songs, an online magazine, radio and TV infomercials, and performance- dance/ drama production about being active towards a green future.

·         Recruiting other NGO’s, student bodies, businesses etc to get involved in the campaign (SPONSORSHIP)

·         Finding space to exhibit and broadcast the campaign- contacting cultural and public venues, broadcasters (RTHK, TVB), local print media.

·         Promoting awareness about the campaign in the community- contacts, and local media.

·         Analysing the success of the campaign by conducting a survey on the local community; students, professionals, the elderly, etc.

·         Based on the analysis, construct a plan for continuation and improvement.

·         Establishing a structure to ensure the future of the campaign

·         Moving the campaign to China in association with organisations already there.

any feedbacks, suggestions and interested people feel free to comment

Climate Chance Network Briefing Powerpoint

Climate Network Briefing View more presentations from Serenagao.

Thank you for those who joined the Briefing today! I learned a lot from you all!

Leadership in a Network

Serena

How many times have you been a part of the “leadership” conversation? Or the eternal question on the problematic role of the charismatic leader?  Who should really be in charge?  What is organic or truly democratic?  Who has the power?  What type of power?  And how is power distributed?

Indeed, as Jessica and I were sitting at the counter today (for the Global Citizenship and Social Service Week), telling our stories over and over again to people, we asked ourselves these questions.

We often say that one of the key attributes of networks is that you have to give up control.  And little by little we are learning that this giving up of control is a new discipline of leadership, something we are having to learn after being socially trained into the command and control fantasy.  From this perspective, we have been trying to create a space that organizes and runs itself  — something we discovered that there is still quite a gap between reality and this “aspiration”.

Steven Levy identifies three key decisions that allow for the Twitter power-to-people phenomenon in “Mob Rule! How Users Took Over Twitter” by  on this month’s Wired:

• Making a commitment to simplicity – the system has been distilled to its essence, you can send a message, receive a message or forward a message
• Creating asymmetry – anyone can read any writer’s updates, regardless of who is more “important,” all can connect to all
• Opening up Twitter’s software to developers – any developer can reshape it according to their preferences and what they think is important

Levy provocatively sums it up by saying that:

“Essentially, Twitter left a ball and a stick in a field and then lurked on the sidelines as its users invented baseball.”

This is some radical stuff!  Plus it has interactive communication and the generous sharing of information right at its center.

As too often happens with my posts, there is so much more to be said that can possibly by said in a single blog post.  I am interested in distilling this further, in drawing key lessons and seeking applicability.  Maybe you can help me! I would love to know what are the parallels that you see?

How can we apply these lessons to movement building in a networked world?

What are the conditions for self-organization and emergence?

(selectively quoted from http://interactioninstitute.org/blog/2009/10/27/twitter-power-to-the-people/#comments)

Reply to Jessica’s Second Draft

Serena - here is my take after seeing the second draft by Jessica

Hope more comments! Deadline is tonight!

Title – Join the 350 for a real change at UNFCCC COP15 in Copenhagen!

Students of the University of Hong Kong:
As a future leader, you are called upon to make sure our world leaders who are gathering for United Nation Conference to find a just and equitable agreement post Kyoto this December in Copenhagen.

In partnership with 350.org, an international grassroots campaign acknowledged by UN and many presidents and scientists, we are organising a series of events which made up of about 1600 events from every corner of the world.

All the events will lead up to the October 24th Global Action Day when we rally a massive demonstration in Hong Kong.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqof641pWys)

Highlights:

Opening Ceremony-Mosaic Acappell Performance and Film Screening
Date: 5th October, 2009 (Monday)
Mosaic Acappell Singing
Time & Venue: 12:30 – 1:00pm  outside Main Lib
Film screening “the 11th Hour,” produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCARPRIO, with honored guest from Consulate General of United State
Time & Venue: 7:00-10:00pm @  CYM302

350 Pledge Forum (Series of Speeches)
Opening Talk - Speaker: The Clean Air Network
Date: 7th October, 2009 (Wednesday)
Time & Venue: 5:00-7:00pm, K802, Knowles Building

350 Snapshot Collage
Submit creative photos to spread the word of 350 to 350photography@gmail.com, 350 of which will be made into a mosaic banner sent to Copenhagen!
Deadline: 10th October, 2009 (Saturday)

——

About us
We are called Climate Chance, a Chinese youth Climate Network (formerly known as Hong Kong Climate Change Coalition), founded upon our delegation to the UNFCCC COP 13 in Bali, 2007. We are a party to the Youth Constituency officially recognized by the UN Secretary.

Thank you for listening, the most precious gift one can give to another human being.

Best regards,
Climate Chance
It is not future we wish to secure, the present to take hold of.
Website: http://thenetworkforchange.org
Blog: http://hkccc.tumblr.com
Print this email? Think. Save Paper

Mass Email-350

Jessica

Dear members and other HKU students,

You are cordially invited to take part in Climate Chance 350 project that collects Hong Kong youth’s voice for the UN Climate Chance Conference (UNCCC) in December 2009. Let’s get prepared for Copenhagen together!

To hear the voice from YOU, we partnered with 350.org, an international grassroots campaign acknowledged by UN, world leaders and scientists, to organize a series of events which made up the almost 1600 events from every corner of the world. All the events will lead up to the October 24th Global Action Day when we rally a massive demonstration in Hong Kong!

Opening Ceremony
Date: 5th October, 2009 (Monday)
Time & Venue: 12:30 – 1:00pm  outside Main Lib

Highlight: MOSAIC singing Michael Jackson’s songs

Time & Venue: 7:00-10:00pm @  CYM302

Highlight:
- Film screening “the 11^th Hour”, produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCARPRIO

- Post-film discussion with Ms Masami Tanaka, Vice Consulate of the Economic and Politic section from Consulate General of United State

- Upcoming film-screening http://hkccc.tumblr.com/tagged/Project-Film%20Screening

350 Series of Talk

Date: 9th October, 2009 (Wednesday)
Time & Venue: 5:00-7:00pm, K802, Knowles Building
Talk One: Air Quality in Hong Kong

Speaker: The Clean Air Network

350 Snapshot Collage

Submit creative pictures with the number 350 to 350photography@gmail.com

Deadline：10th October, 2009 (Saturday)
What is 350?

http://www.youtube.com/group/climatechance

For more information, please feel free to enquire at climatechance@thenetworkforchange.org

About us

—————-

We are called Climate Chance, a Chinese youth Climate Network (formerly known as Hong Kong Climate Change Coalition), founded upon our delegation to the UNFCCC COP 13 in Bali, 2007.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Best regards,
Climate Chance

Website: http://thenetworkforchange.org
Blog: http://hkccc.tumblr.com

FB: Climate Chance

Twitter: http://twitter.com/climatechance

Print this email? Think. Save Paper

We, youth are officially recognised by the Secretary of UNFCCC! (HKCCC voted and is one of the parties Partial in the List of Organizations Represented by Youth Constituency!

Serena

I am sooo happy! It is a true historical moment to have official place recognised in the COPs ( United Nation Conferences, Meeting of Parties)!

The focal point (main persons in change) for the North is Wilson Ag and South is Lina Li.

Wilson is president of Eco-Singapore, had been a guest speaker, workshop runner for AYCS (Asian Youth Climate Summit) when were were Hong Kong Climate Change Coaltion HKCCC (now known as Climate Chance) ever since we visited him during a study tour organised by us. He has been giving us various leadership workshops etc. and is very close friends with us.

Lina is my fellow CGIU (Clinton GLobal Initiative) and BP 2041 Antarctica Expedition teammates based in BEijing, who just graduated from master. A super responsible and intelligent girl full of wisdom and passion.

I am glad to have participated in the voting and writting of the constitution for UNFCCC Youth. And I hope we can secure our place beyond COP17 (as our recognition is contigent on our good performance for the coming COP15 Copenhagen etc)

Please join this group to find out and follow and become part of  this!
http://groups.google.com/group/unfccc_youth

You can download the  pdf documents to see letter from the Secretary of UNFCCC and HKCCC listed as one of the parties.

Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

Climate Chance Website Committee

Serena Thanks Jerry Cai Duo for his continuous hard work for the past month, we now have not just a website, but also a “Wikipedia” platform for us to work on it! There remain many issues to be solved and i really appreciate your patience. I wish to set up a Website Committee for ANYONE who is a volunteer in our network to join and participate in the website administration process - you can login and directly edit the content of the website, its structure and design etc. Join http://groups.google.com/group/climate-chance-website-committee and follow the instructions. As our 350 opening ceremony is on October 5th, and also some of us are going to the Asian Youth Climate Workshop in Bangkok on October 2nd. So hopefully we can get something settled before then. So I will need to know, for those who join the committee, your availability during the coming days, how we can set up a regular meeting etc. P.S. Anyone wishes to organize a surprise “party” for Jerry to express our thank to his work? He is so awe fully humble….and i do wish you guys can meet him…

Climate Chance Netwrok Card

Serena

Partner: Future Generations/CHINA 美国新一代研究院

http://www.fgchina.org/glm

With the support of Swire Pacific Limited, Future Generations China and its initiative - China’s Green Long March (GLM), promotes Creative energy solutions and foster relations between mainland Chinese/HK youth. The GLM is China’s largest movement of student-led environmental action (Since 2007) with students more than 50 Chinese Universities seeking to lead positive action and feature educational campaigns that promote creative energy solutions in homes, schools, businesses across China. (http://www.fgchina.org/glm/). The collaboration with hopefully culminate in CCChange organizing large scale GLM campaigns in Hong Kong in 2010.
ECO-Singapore (Environmental Challenge Organization)
ECO Singapore is the leading youth organization which has since reached out to over 2,000 emerging leaders and 300,000 members of the public by actively engaging and empowering young people to lead a move sustainable lifestyle.